Envelop



f (No Model.)

W. S. MAYBR. ENVELOP.

No. 572,554. Y Patented Dec. 8, 1896.

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' UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE..

VALTER S. MAYER, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.

ENVELOP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 572,554, dated December8, 1896.

Application iiled September 1 5, l 89 6.

To all whom, it may concern: f

Be it known that I, WALTER S. MAYERy'a citizen of the United States,residing at Galvesten, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Envelops, of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, formingV ay part thereof.

My invention has special reference to envelops, used to inclose articlesof value, and provision of means and structural conformation whereby anysurreptitious handling thereof will be detected.

My invention relates specially to envelops used in the post-office forinclosing registered letters and packages for transmission from theoriginal place of deposit totheir ultimate destination; but itsemployment is not limited to official inclosures.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, whereinlike letters and numeralsof reference point out similar parts on each view, Figure l represents ablank from which an envelop is constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig. 2 is a front View of the envelop folded up and closed.Fig-3 is a rear View thereof. Fig. 4 is a perspective view illustratingthe method of folding the. separate parts. Fig. 5 represents the envelopin a finished condition ready for insertion of let- Jters or packagesinto the pocket, which is shown open its full length, but is afterwardpermanently closed by overlapping flaps.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of a portion of the device, showing serrationsat the marginal lines of iiaps folded over.

A is the rectangular central portion, from which extends top flap B andlower iiap C and at each side end flaps D. `Said end flaps are foldedover inwardly at each side of the central quadrangular section A alongthe dotted lines ct, and their terminal edges cl cl overlap, as plainlyillustrated in Fig. 4. Said edges at opposite sides are provided withgum or mucilage for a short distance, so that the overlying edges ofsaid flaps D, when turned over, as set forth, will adhere together tocompose the main pocket. The line of mucilage is indicated by numeral 2,but, as willbe readily understood, is on oppo- S'erial No. 605,925. (Nospecimens.)

the main section A. At each side is an extending wing-flap c,semicrescent-shaped, for a purpose presently described.

In forming the pocket of the envelop, after the opposite flaps D areoverturned in Wardly and fastened together, as hereinbefore described,the iiap C is upturned along the dotted line 3 over said side flaps andsecurely adhered to them bya row of mucilage 4, and a perfectenvelop-pocket is composed by conjunction of said element-s overturnedand connected by adherents in the manner described. The wing-flaps c arethen turned 011 the opposite surface, being bent on lines d, and therebyreinforce the pocketformed by folding over the opposite flaps D, saidWingilaps having their edges provided with mucilage 2. Thereby a perfectopen envelop is completed provided with additional closing elements, asfollows:

B is a top Iiap of the same length as the alining lower one C, and it isprovided with similar side wing-flaps b, of like shape. From 'thecentral edge of said flap B is a conical tongue-Hap b, which is ofsufficient length to pass downwardly over the overturned edge of thelower flap, and its side wing-flaps are in like manner turned over atopposite sides. Thus every overturned edge is reinforced by the foldedwing-flaps extending from opposite sides of the upper and lower mainflaps and the overturned portion of the tongue-iiap eX- tending from thetop ap B.

All of the described iaps and subordinate i iiaps, tongue, and wingsextending therefrom are composed integrally of one sheet of material andwhen overturned, as set forth, reinforce each folded edge of theenvelop. When the envelop is entirely closed, the respective points ofthe wing-flaps and the tongue of Jthe top Hap-will approach a commonmeeting-point at the rear side, as plainly illustrated in Fig. 3, and inpractice the postmark will be imprinted directly over saidmeeting-points, (see dotted lines, Fig. 3,) and, as will be readilyunderstood, it will be impossible to lift any of said points withoutdestroying said stamp, and as none of said IOO wings or [iaps could belifted without moistening them, which would also deface the stamp,protection is thus provided for this element of the structure againstimproper manipulation thereof.

Additional protection of similar nature is provided on the face side ofthe envelop, which has lines imprinted thereon which have to be writtenon at cach station of the transit route through which the closed enveloppasses. Said rows of lines for inscription and signature are arrangedparallel across thc surface width, as fully illustrated in Fig. 2.Sections of the lengths of said lines are on separate faces, to wit,partially on the main section A and partially on the overfolded flap B,butso imprinted that when the envelop is closed, as illustrated in Fig.2, they will meet and be in perfect alinement, and any attempt to liftor separate the niargin of the overlying` edge of the closing-hap 4C bymoistening the adherent 4 would destroy all matter written on saidlines, besides which, if once opened, lthe imprinted lines could'not bereadj usted in parallel alinement. But it is not absolutely requisitethat the lines for signature should extend over both sections of thedevice. They may be irnprinted only on the top flap B as a guide forwriting officers names, which in practice would extend beyond themeeting edges of said flaps over on the flap O when closed, in mannerillustrated in Fig. 2, and, as will be readily understood, successiveWritten signatures of various parties would be destroyed and defaced byany attempt to lift the adhered flaps when the envelop is closed.

Besides the described lines for signature printed directions aredisplayed on spaces above and below said rows of lines, which, whenbrought into conjunction by folding over the flap B, would be defaced byany attempt to surreptitiously open the envelop.

I have limited the description of my invention to having the margins ofthe flaps, win gs, and extensions in continuous lines; but I do notdesire to be understood as lilniting myself thereto, as said edges maybe scalloped or serrated, as illustrated in Fig. 6, without departingfrom the scope and purview of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention and the manner of its practicaloperation,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates of America, is-

l. As an improved article of manufacture an envelop consisting` of ablank having a central quadrangular iiap, with extensions at oppositesides thereof, adapted to be folded over and joined at their meetingfedges,a lower flap, of same length as the central one, the marginthereof being in a right line for said length, which in practice isupturned over the folded side llaps and in conjunction therewithcomposes a pocket-receptacle, said upturned flap having extending fromeither side wing-flaps, the edges of which are in curved lines, thatwhen the upturned iiap is fastened to form said pocket areoverturned onthe opposite face of the envelop and adhered thereto, all in combinationwith an upper closing-flap which is of same length as the body of thedevice said closing-iiap havin g at each side,win g extensions withcurved marginal edges, and a tongue extending from median point of itsouter edge which tongue and side wings after said closing-flap is turneddownwardly are bent over the opposite face of the envelop partiallyoverlapping the side wings of the lower upturned Hap all of said sidewings when folded over, in the manner described, will have theirterminals at a common meeting-point, substantially as described.

2. An envelop consisting of a quadrangular central blank having flapextending at each side thereof, a lower flap of same length as thecentral blank, having extending from opposite sides semicrescent-shapedwing-flaps, an upper flap having extending from each sidesemicrcscent-shaped wing-flaps, and from median point of its width aconical tongueiiap, all of said elements of the device composedintegrally of one piece of paper, the outer edges of the main flaps andwings provided with strips of adhesive mucilage, the side flaps adaptedto be folded over and their meeting edges connected, over which thelower flap is upturned to compose a receptaclepocket, the wings of saidlower flap being then folded over to the opposite side of the pocket,substantially as described.

WALTER S. MAYER. Witnesses J As. J. LARMOUR, Gno. M. CHRISTIAN.,

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